THE CURRENT EVENTS CLASSROOM TERRORIST ATTACK IN PARIS AND SCAPEGOATING On Friday, November 13, coordinated shootings and explosions rocked Paris late in the evening, killing 130 people and leaving another 351 injured, 99 of them critically. The majority of the victims were killed at the Bataclan concert hall. There, attackers opened fire on concertgoers and took more than 100 people hostage, according to police. Police later stormed the Bataclan and ended the hostage situation. At the same time, there were three suicide bombings near the Stade de France, a soccer stadium near Paris, as well as another suicide bomb and mass shootings in other places in Paris. Seven of the eight attackers died, six of whom detonated explosive suicide vests. Six days later, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 28-year-old Belgian terrorist and the suspected “mastermind” of the attacks, was among those killed in a police raid in a suburb of Paris. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, citing France's "crusader campaign," referencing the country's role in air strikes against the group in Syria and Iraq. There have been a wide variety of responses to the attacks from international leaders, U.S. legislators and the public at large. Some have responded by scapegoating Syrian refugees as well as people who are Muslim. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about the Paris attacks and understand the ways in which Muslim people and Syrian refugees are being scapegoated as a result of the terrorist attacks. See these additional ADL resources: Refugee Crisis in Europe: How Should the World Respond? (grades 9- 12 lesson plan) Empowering Children in the Aftermath of Hate, Helping Students Make Sense of News Stories About Bias and Injustice, ADL to U.S. Governors: Reconsider Position on Refusing Refugees (press release) and Anti-Refugee Sentiment Reaches New High After Paris Attacks (blog). Grade Level: grades 7-12 Time: 45 minutes Common Core Anchor Standards: Reading, Speaking and Listening, Language Learning Objectives: Students will learn what happened in the Paris terrorist attacks and what has taken place since the attacks on November 13, 2015. Students will reflect upon how stereotypes and scapegoating of Syrian refugees and Muslim people have been part of the reaction. Students will explore how social media can be used to dispel stereotypes and discourage scapegoating. Compelling Question: How and why does scapegoating happen when a tragic event takes place? © 2015 Anti-Defamation League, www.adl.org/education-outreach Page 1 of 9 The Current Events Classroom adl.org/curriculum-resources Material: Background Information (one copy for each student) After Paris Attacks, Vilifying Refugees (one copy for each student) Vocabulary: Review the following vocabulary words and make sure students know their meanings. (See ADL’s “Glossary of Education Terms.”) betrayal Muslim resettlement discrimination obligation scapegoating fearmongering persecution terrorism impulsive prejudice vetting Islamophobia propaganda victim morally refugees villifying Note to Teacher: As this lesson explores how both Muslim people and Syrian refugees are being scapegoated after the terrorist attacks in Paris, it is important to reflect on and consider that you may have students in your classroom who are Muslim or students who are refugees or immigrants. Be prepared and sensitive to those students, taking into consideration the extent to which they are a minority or majority of your classroom and plan accordingly. Students who identify with the topic personally will likely have a range of thoughts and feelings about discussing the topic: relief, embarrassment, annoyance, pride or nothing at all. Be careful not to put students in the position of being the “authority” or main possessor of knowledge on the topic. INFORMATION SHARING 1. Ask students: Does anyone know what happened in Paris on Friday, November 13, that’s been in the news? Have students share what they know and what questions they have. 2. Share the following information about what we know so far about the Paris attacks and their aftermath, either by summarizing for your students or having them read the Background Information aloud. On Friday, November 13, a set of shootings and explosions hit Paris late in the evening, killing at least 130 people, most of whom died at the Bataclan concert hall. After the shooting attack at the concert hall, attackers took more 100 people hostage there, according to police. Police later stormed the Bataclan and ended the hostage situation. Another 351 were injured, 99 of them critically. Explosions were reported near the Stade de France, a soccer stadium near Paris, as was another explosion and shootings inside the city itself. Seven of the eight attackers died, six of whom detonated explosive suicide vests. Six days later, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 28-year-old Belgian terrorist and the suspected “mastermind” of the attacks, was among those killed in a police raid in a suburb of Paris. So far, all of the attackers have been identified as French or Belgian nationals. © 2015 Anti-Defamation League, www.adl.org/education-outreach Page 2 of 9 The Current Events Classroom adl.org/curriculum-resources ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks, citing France's "crusader campaign" in a reference to the country's role in air strikes against the group in Syria and Iraq. ISIS is the self-proclaimed “Islamic State” which began making news in 2014 when it conquered territory in Syria and Iraq. It has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings. The group has attracted support elsewhere in the world as well and a U.S.-led coalition has vowed to destroy it. (If you want to explain more about ISIS to your students, you may choose to show this New York Times short video: The Evolution of ISIS.) There is no way to justify or rationalize terrorism. Terrorist groups use violence against civilians in an attempt to achieve political ends. Some examples of terrorist attacks in the United States motivated by Islamic extremist ideology include September 11 and the Boston Marathon Bombing Attack in 2013. For more information, see ADL’s International Extremism and Terrorism. French President François Hollande promised a "merciless" response, and world leaders vowed to stand by France. A few days after the attack, France bombed the Syrian city of Raqqa, its most aggressive strike against ISIS. The U.S. military and intelligence agencies provided information to help French warplanes bomb these ISIS targets. In the wake of the terrorist attacks, more than half of all United States Governors (31 in total so far) have stated they will not accept Syrian refugees into their states or called on the president to seal the borders to refugees, issuing statements that they will bar Syrian refugees from settling in their states and citing fears that violent extremists would masquerade as refugees in order to get into the U.S. States do not have the legal authority to bar refugees from settling within their states but they can ask the State Department not to send refugees there. Several months ago during the height of the refugee crisis in Europe, the Obama administration had agreed to take in an additional 10,000 Syrian refugees. Evidence collected so far suggests that refugees were not involved in carrying out the attacks and in fact, all of the Paris attackers have been identified as European nationals. The U.S. refugee resettlement program vets each person it admits through rigorous background checks that have a nearly flawless record at keeping terrorists out. Kathy Newland of the Migration Policy Institute stated: “The United States has resettled 784,000 refugees since September 11, 2001. In those 14 years, exactly three resettled refugees have been arrested for planning terrorist activities—and it is worth noting two were not planning an attack in the United States and the plans of the third were barely credible.” It is interesting to note that France President Francois Hollande will keep its commitment that “30,000 refugees will be welcomed over the next two years.” Vetting refugees in the U.S. involves an extensive 18-to 24-month (on average) process that includes biometric and biographic tests, database checks, interviews and other vetting procedures by a number of U.S. security agencies. Since the attacks, there has been an increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric, threats, attacks and hate crimes directed at the U.S. Muslim community; this is coming from the general public, elected officials and even presidential candidates. There have been at least a dozen serious incidents reported threatening Muslims in this country since the Paris attacks including threats to “shoot up” and/or bomb Mosques, acts of vandalism , shots fired and more. Many Islamic communities across the U.S. have condemned the attacks, stating that the vast majority of Muslims exist peacefully within American society. For more information, see Here’s A List Of Anti-Muslim Acts Reported In The U.S. Since The Paris Attacks. 3. Engage students in a discussion by asking: What did you learn that you didn’t know before? © 2015 Anti-Defamation League, www.adl.org/education-outreach Page 3 of 9 The Current Events Classroom adl.org/curriculum-resources How do you feel about what you heard? How do you think the world should respond to the attacks in France? What do you think about some of the anti-refugee and anti-Muslim sentiment? What other questions do you have? THE AFTERMATH: WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SCAPEGOATING? 1. Write (or say aloud) the following sentences: A. All teenagers steal from stores (shoplift). B. I don’t like teenagers. C. I don’t allow teenagers in my store. 2. Briefly review the definitions of stereotype, prejudice and discrimination and ask students: Which one of these is stereotyping? Which one is prejudice? And which statement is discrimination? The definitions and answers are as follows: Stereotype: An oversimplified generalization about a person or group of people without regard for individual differences.